It’s only when Hunter speaks that I finally lose my own nerve. “You’re free to take a bite out of me any day, love...”
I toss him a dirty look. His shiny white smile vanishes, and now he cowers like Cropped Haircut Lady.
Does he not see me sitting here? I’m his mate. I guess I’m a little greedy since I have three of them now, yet still. He needs to stop with that creepy flirting.
“S-sorry,” he mutters. “Old habit...”
I sigh, deciding to let him off (I’ll tap his wrist later). A face with gleaming silver eyes flies up before me next, but I shove it away, focusing on Dreadlocks again.
If only Brent could be here with us now. He was always a better leader than I was.
But he stayed with the pack. I suppose his services are needed more there, but it sure would be nice to have all three of them with me. Just like the time we competed at the games.
“Do you have names?” I ask the humans.
Dreadlocks snarls. Boulder Man opens an eye and glares at me. Cropped Haircut Lady curls in on herself like a shrivelled-up prawn.
I sigh. “I guess not then.”
“T-Theresa... Theresa Green...”
My eyes pop. I never expected Cropped Haircut Lady to be the first to cave. She even gave me her full name.
Her surname is the same as Patrick’s. Go figure. She’d made tumbleweeds out of his fur earlier, too, yet it turns out that they may be distantly related. Humans and shifters interbred a lot back in the olden days.
I glance at my first mate, and I see he’s having the same thoughts as me.
I snort, breaking the silence. “I guess trees are green, but... t-thank you, Theresa...”
Her parents should have considered saying her full name out loud before they named her. I swear, if Boulder Man turns out to be called Ben Dover, I’m done.
No one gets my joke. Well, maybe Hunter, as he chuckles beside Patrick, biting into his rabbit. The juices drip down his chin.
Annabel bats her eyelashes, peering at Boulder Man. “Well, what about you, handsome? You have a name?”
He pinches his eyes tight shut again, looking as if he’s holding in a massive dump, and maybe we should untie him and give him a moment in the woods.
One of us would have to keep watch over him, though. I bet he’s a shy pooper.
“M-must resist...” he mumbles to himself. “Thou shalt not be tempted by the pretty she-wolf...”
Annabel mock pouts. “Ah, a shame. I was really looking forward to getting to know you more...”
“It’s Andrew!”
Well, he caved fairly quickly.
Annabel giggles. “Andrew and Annabel. We sound so cute together. Annie and Andy... Wait... Raggedy Anne and Andy! It’s destiny!”
I make a face. Weren’t those fictional ragdolls brother and sister? Who cares? So long as they’re getting along.
Dreadlocks finally snaps. “Who the fuck is Raggedy Anne and Andy?”
Annabel stops, then stammers. Chelsea looks ready to slit the human’s throat like she promised earlier.
Luckily, Patrick saves the day with his knowledge of human trivia. “The characters of a beloved human children’s book, which were later adapted into movies. In fact, the very movie Annabelle was inspired by a real Raggedy Anne that was said to be possessed—”
“Shut up! Shut the fuck up, you dumb mutt. You think you’re so clever because you know shit. Shit that was denied us! You shouldn’t even be reading books. You’re a monster, all of you. You dare talk to me about the culture of my dead ancestors? Death to you all!”